Suspect in stabbing at Jersey City mall two nights before Christmas surrenders and is arrested after security photo of two men runs in The Jersey Journal and brings tips

Security images that ran in The Jersey Journal on Saturday led to yesterday’s arrest of a man charged with stabbing a fellow shopper while both waited in line to buy coveted new Nike Air Jordan sneakers at Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City days before Christmas.

Richel Polanco, 19, of Bergen Avenue near Ege Avenue in Jersey City, was arrested before noon yesterday and charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses, police said. The investigation continues to be very active and additional arrests are possible, police said.

When police arrived at the mall after the 10:19 p.m. incident on Dec. 22 they found the 20-year-old victim outside the building, sitting in a puddle of blood and drifting in and out of consciousness, reports said.

The Duncan Avenue man was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center, where it was determined he had been stabbed seven times, reports said, adding that the wounds were not life-threatening.

At the hospital, the victim told police he was in line to buy the Nike Air Jordan XI Concords at Foot Locker inside the mall when he got into an argument with another man in line, reports said. When they began to fight, four to six other men joined the attack on the victim, reports said.

The Duncan Avenue man said he thought he was being punched but realized he was being stabbed with knives, reports said.

The victim was stabbed in the back, shoulder, leg and arm, but he managed to get away, staggered out of the mall and collapsed near the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station, reports said.

On Friday, police released security images showing a man they say is Polanco, as well as another man beside him. The images triggered calls to the Jersey City police tip line identifying both men.

After being contacted by police, Polanco came in voluntarily yesterday morning and was arrested after being questioned. Police expect to speak to the second man as well, and they are currently referring to him as a witness.

On the night of the crime, the stabbing victim and about 300 other people were standing in line at the mall awaiting the midnight release of the sneaker’s new model.

“We want to thank the public for its assistance, especially when we have a crime that happens in a public area during the holidays, with so many innocent people exposed to such violence,” Jersey City Police Capt. Michael Kelly said.